Gmail Emoticons

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September 21, 2007 @ 2:59 PM
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Q: I love using Gmail for all my e-mail needs, but I really miss the emoticons I used to get with Yahoo! Is there any way we can use emoticons in Gmail as well? Please share your knowledge on this!

A:I’m with you on that one, my friend! My story goes the same way: I love using Gmail (it’s just so easy and convenient), but I used to use Yahoo! and I really miss the emoticons that came with it. (If you’re not sure what an emoticon is, read this tip to find out!) Yahoo! has tons of little smiley faces you can use to make the e-mails you send out just a little more shiny and I love that. Other e-mail programs have them too, but Gmail just seemed to miss the boat on that one. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love all of the other features Gmail offers me, but at the end of the day, when I’m done sending all my e-mails out, I really miss all those smiley faces!

What to do? What to do? Well, after receiving this question, I just couldn’t stand letting you all down, so I went on a searching spree and I found a little gem of a program that, I think, will satisfy all of your emoticon needs. Ready to check it out? Then let’s go!

I was able to find a Greasemonkey script that allows you to add emoticons to all of your Gmail e-mails. It’s called Gmail Emoticons and I have to tell you, I’ve already used it and I absolutely adore it! Once you install this script on your computer, it adds a little emoticon icon next to the “Check Spelling” link in the Gmail Compose window. Once you click on that icon, you can choose from a wide array of emoticons, including these:

Cute, huh?!

Now, I bet you’re probably wondering how you actually get those smileys into your e-mails, right? Well, there are two different methods you can choose from. The first (and probably the easiest) is a drag and drop type of thing. To do this, start a new e-mail, type in what you want and then just drag the emoticon you want to use and drop it into the e-mail. You do have to be a little careful with this method, because if you accidentally drop the emoticon outside of the e-mail box, your page may change and you’ll probably have to start all over again. But, that shouldn’t concern you too much, because you have a huge space to work with when you’re dropping them in. Just be a little cautious with this one!

As for the second method, it’s all done by a copy and paste. First, click on the Emoticons icon (remember, it’s next to the Check Spelling link) and choose the smiley you want to use in your new e-mail. Once you’ve decided, drag your mouse over the smiley so that it is highlighted. Next, right click on it and choose Copy. Then go over to your new e-mail window, right click where you want the smiley to go and choose Paste. It will then show up in your e-mail right where you want it. Cool, huh?!

Both methods are pretty simple to do, but I wanted to make sure you all knew you had options! So, if you’re ready to start using emoticons in your Gmail e-mails, go ahead and download the Gmail Emoticons script right here[1]. (To get to it, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click on the black box that says “Install this script“). Once it’s installed, you can start using as many smileys as you want. They’re so much fun to use and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of sending or receiving them. How about you? Enjoy this one!